Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-12-19
DAMAGED BY FIRE.
Christ hureh tie Scene of
an Alarming Confia-
grafton.
The Fire department. Victorious After
a Long and Heroic Battle.
Drowned t in the Basement
An Imposing Architectural
Pile Saved.
CHRIST Church Burning,

Chrlst Church Burning,
AT a,quarter before five O'Clock yester
day afternoon, the fire bell on city hal
sounded a sharp alarm which broke upon
the Sabbath stiffness with ominous inn
port. The fire boys sprAng for their ma
chimes and the streets quickly filed witt
people.
The alarm had come from Chris,
church Epiacopal), On the corner Of
Walnut and Sixth, and was given BY
Colonel ], P. Wagner, the oreanist. Ht
was rehearsing m music in the organ
alcoye and fret noticed Q little smoke
rising from the main furnace register
This did not disturb him and he went
90 the rector's to procure Q book
Returning he found the auditorium rap
pidly filing with smoke, which Wal
rushing in clouds out Of the register. He
then gave the alarm which brought
out the fire department and caused
large c~oncuurse OF excited spectators tc
gather about the church. By this time
heavy smoke Was bufstisg from the
basement windows and
TIL cHURc BEENED DOOMED.
Chief Kincel and Assistant Chief San
born we're at the scene With the fire de-
partment III two or three minutes after
the alarm sounded and immediately be.
gan systemstic and we'll directed efforts
to subdue the flames. A fire hydrani
is located only q few feet from the church
building and to this foul lines of hose
we're made fast by means OF siamese at
taohments and four angry streams Of
water were soon shooting in the churet
basement through windows and doors
Thus farithe fire was
ALL IN THE BASEMENT
and to confine it to that apartment wat
the only hope of the fire fighters. Be
cause OF the dense smoke it could no
be located and the operations of tie
firemen we're all upon the theory. thai
the fire had broken out about the furnace
in the southwest angle OF the church
baaement. This WAS approached from
four different directions, the hremer
fighting their way inch by inch and call
ing for frequent reliefs to enable them
to seek the outer air for brief breathing
spells. Occasionally o hose pipe wal
thrust into the upper room and
THE FLOOR FLOODED.
Finally asportion of the thick wal
was removed from the south side, near.
est the furnace, and the flames became
visible through the aperture. There The
hose streams were concentrated and the
effect soon became manifest. The fire.
men had the advantage and they follow.
ed it mp. They waded knee deep in the
/ water of the basement, drove the conha'
grafton into one corner end ther
drowned il out. After an hour and {
halt Of heroic work tho order Of the chief
to
CLOSE THE HYDRANT.
was given and the church was saved
Meantime the lamps in the auditorium
had been lighted and the destruction
there was visible. 1t was not great
The floor was burned through about the
main register and the rsftera were des.
troyed underneath 9 section OF about
thirty feet of the floor. Most OF the
! pew cushions and many OF the books
were moistened and q little of the furni.
ture had been displaced in the saving
efforts OF the frsmen. In the basement
the long continued fire had burned oil
most everything inhammable excepting
the rafters and flooring overhead ant
the winters coal supply, which was del
uged with water. There was o cord o
wood, about the same quantity OF kind
ling and ten gallons OF oil in the base
ment when the fire began. These helped
maintain =the contisgrstion. The fire
started at or near the furnace, il is
supposed, and was rapidly distributed
through hot and cold cir tiues. Tht
damage is almost entirely confined &
the basement and floor and few hun
dred dollars will make the church whole
THE NEW PIPE ORGAN
was in the south angle Of the church
unlocked, and Wal directly over the hot
test part of the FIRE. EARLY in the pro.
ceedings the doors on that side wer,
forced in and the crowd quickly re,
moved the new instrument End carried i
to John Fogsrty's barn. The cabina
organ and the books in the rector's roon
were also taken out. Nothing else wa
removed.
To the efforts OF the firemen and th,
bountiful water supply can be attribute,
this victory over the most stubborn fir
ever encountered in, Yaukton. The fir,
department saved not only the churcl
bat mnch adjoining property, who
would have gone had the church beef
destroy ed. With the rising northwea
wind it is hard to tell where the confl
grafton would have ended but for sh
iremen and the big artesian we'll. Will
the fire was in progress the we'll wa
opened to two thirds it's full capacit
and with four streams,on the fire th
water in the reservoirs was not lowere
they were running over full when th
hydrant was closed. With q supply Liz
this Yankton can fight fire until it
fought out.
Theirs is m insurance OF $ 1000 o
l Ghpiok 0huroh IN kba Taar.-.. r---